Connectors are devices that are frequently used to connect cables or electronic devices to one another. The connectors, cables, and electronic devices are often quite small, or have very small component parts that need to be intermated. As a result, very tight tolerances are required in order to ensure that all of the parts intermate successfully. Any out-of-tolerance pins or other connection or mating pieces can cause damage to or break the component parts. Specifically, in the event that a connector and an electronic device that are to be intermated are not in proper alignment, the pin of the electronic device, for example, may contact an undesirable part of the connector and break the pin off or cause other damage to the connector or the electronic device. Accordingly, very tight tolerances are required to ensure intermatability.
In an effort to alleviate this situation and allow for greater tolerances, a gimbling connector has been developed. With reference to FIG. 1, a known gimbling connector 100 has been developed to connect to electronic devices 110, 120 (which may be any electronic device or a cable or the like). As illustrated in FIG. 1, known gimbling connector 100 is adapted to gimble along its axis around its center point, much like a see-saw. By allowing each end of connector 100 to gimble up and down slightly, greater tolerances can be used because there is some play in the mating area. That is, each end of connector 100 is adapted to move up or down slightly so that as electronic devices 110, 120 are brought together and mated via connector 100, a non-destructive mating can be achieved even if electronic devices 110, 120 are not perfectly aligned with the axis of connector 100.
The disadvantage of the known connectors such as gimbling connector 100 are that the movement of each end of connector 100 is dependent upon the other. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 1, as the right side of connector 100 is deflected up slightly to accommodate out-of-tolerance mating with electronic device 120, this movement affects the left side of connector 100 which correspondingly moves down as it mates with electronic device 110. This is a result of the see-saw action of the gimbling connector 100, whereby each end may move radially, but this movement is dependent upon and affects the movement of the other end of the connector 100. So although this type of device provides for some loosening of tolerances, an even more forgiving connector is desirable. This would enable even greater loosening of tolerances and thereby greatly enhance manufacturing efficiencies.